Maresca hails Chelsea for winning ugly in Champions League chase

Enzo Maresca was delighted that Chelsea showcased their quality to triumph disfigured against Tottenham connected Thursday, arsenic the Blues boosted their hopes of Champions League football.

Enzo Fernandez’s second-half header proved decisive astatine Stamford Bridge, arsenic Chelsea claimed a deserved triumph implicit their London rivals.

Chelsea were the amended squad for agelong periods, with Guglielmo Vicario making a stunning prevention to contradict Jadon Sancho precocious successful the archetypal half, aft Micky van de Ven had deed his ain post.

Spurs’ lone existent effect came erstwhile Pape Sarr squeezed a changeable beyond Robert Sanchez from 25 yards retired with 20 minutes to play, but that onslaught was disallowed pursuing a VAR review, arsenic the substitute was ruled to person fouled Moises Caicedo.

That VAR involution – arsenic good arsenic different reappraisal that led to a Caicedo volley being chalked disconnected – led to 12 minutes of second-half stoppage clip being played, and Maresca was delighted by the mode Chelsea navigated that period.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Maresca said: “The effect is an important portion due to the fact that we are adjacent to the extremity of the season.

“At the aforesaid time, we effort to execute the effect playing successful the mode we privation to play.

“At immoderate moments the squad was precise good, past we don’t similar to decorativeness the crippled similar we did successful the past 5 minutes. If we privation to go an important squad we request to triumph successful a soiled way, disfigured mode and I’m rather happy.

“In the past 10 minutes I deliberation the squad showed effort, togetherness, tone and it’s thing that we need.”

The triumph saw Chelsea leapfrog Manchester City and Newcastle United – some of whom won connected Wednesday – to determination backmost into the Premier League’s apical four.

Maresca knows Champions League qualification volition beryllium monolithic for the club’s future, but helium besides wants to spot his squad proceed their stylistic development.

“If you measurement connected the results, past for sure, if we execute Champions League it’s an important thing,” the Italian added.

“But from my constituent of view, I effort to spot however we amended time by time and I tin see, since the archetypal day, that the squad is getting amended and better.”

Chelsea defender Levi Colwill had much touches (74) and palmy passes (58) than immoderate different subordinate connected the pitch, producing a composed show aft missing retired connected Thomas Tuchel’s archetypal England squad.

He believes moving with Maresca volition assistance him scope the adjacent level, saying: “Everyone ever says I person a load of potential, but I don’t deliberation imaginable means anything. You’ve got to amusement it each game.

“This season, astatine times, I have. At different times, I haven’t. I request to support progressing and learning due to the fact that I cognize wherever I tin beryllium and nether this gaffer, he’ll instrumentality maine there, I’m sure.”